A 17-year-old girl from Cowdray Park allegedly committed suicide by hanging from a tree after an altercation with her Botswana-based mother.
The teenager identified as Angela Ncube allegedly had a fall-out with her mother after she had disciplined her younger sister.
A CITE news crew visited the family on Monday and spoke to family members and the landlord where the teen rented a room, who narrated the details that led to the incident.
Ncube was found hanging from a tree near Cowdray Park Secondary School, a short distance from her home, tied with a rope similar to that used for towing cars.
“I have been staying with the two girls for a while now. It was her and her young sister aged 10. Their parents are in Botswana where they work. On Saturday morning, around 10 AM, she had an altercation with her young sister and she beat her. I then talked to them and reprimanded them both and told Angela not to beat her sister when they argue,” said the landlady who identified herself as Ms Dube.
“I then went outside later on in the afternoon to attend a community meeting. I saw Angela on my way there, she was coming from her vending stall. She greeted me and proceeded to the house. Nothing seemed amiss about her.”
Ms Dube said Angela returned home around 5 pm from her vending stall and cooked supper.
“I saw her cooking around 6 pm and they ate with her sister. I later went to bed. I didn’t notice anything suspicious. In the morning I was woken by some neighbours who told me that a person, similar to Angela, had been found hanging from a tree,” she narrated.
“I then called her little sister and she told me that Angela left in the night after a phone call with her mother. They had discussed the incident about her beating her young sister. She (young sister) said Angela told her she was leaving and they would meet at the cemetery. I rushed to the scene and I confirmed that indeed it was her.”
Her maternal family members who had gathered at the house said they were distressed over the incident and it was hard for them to accept that Angela had taken her life.
“We are shocked. It is hard to accept that she is gone. She was such an obedient child, she would not have been capable of doing such a thing. There is a lot that is amiss about this whole incident. That rope is too big, where could she have acquired it? How did she even climb that tree she hung from? It is too big and it has no lower branches, we have a lot of questions,” Ms Khumalo, Angela’s aunt said.
Bulawayo police acting spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele confirmed the incident.
She said the police were called on Sunday morning around 7 am and investigations are underway.
“On July 16, 2023, at around 7 am, the informant, Viyisiwe Dube advised ZRP Cowdray Park through a phone call to the effect that her tenant Angela Ncube had hanged herself on a tree which is at Cowdray Park Secondary School Grounds. ZRP Cowdray Park and Scenes of Crime attended the scene and observations are that; the deceased Angela Ncube used a rope to hang herself on a big tree which is at Cowdray Park Secondary School grounds. The deceased was putting on black grey slippers, Cream Socks, Blue skin jean trousers and a Gray jacket. The body of the deceased was inspected and had no visible injuries. No suicidal note was noted,” Asst Insp Msebele said.
